There's one Cubs player who has been just as dreadful to watch as Dansby Swanson

The offensive slump of Dansby Swanson has been front of mind for Chicago Cubs fans in recent weeks, wondering if it would reach a point where Swanson was removed from the starting lineup. The reality that's in front of the Cubs is that there are several players on the roster struggling, and one is a player that looks just as lost as Swanson.

Nico Hoerner sneaking into early MVP conversations during the first month of the 2026 season, but what's followed is a slump that has left the Cubs looking for answers.

Since April 29, Hoerner is slashing .189/.270/.232 with a wRC+ of 47. While the Cubs had been quick to point to Hoerner's BABIP as a reason why he should turn the corner soon, that excuse is no longer valid. In those 185 plate appearances, Hoerner's BABIP has fallen to .197. Making things even worse, Hoerner is hitless through his last 18 plate appearances.

Hoerner's recent stretch of struggles have been particularly concerning, as most of his plate appearances have looked uncharacteristically poor. He's also striking out more, relative to his normal marks. On the season, Hoerner's strikeout rate is at 7.1%, but it's over 16% during the past week.

As for the specificity of using the April 29 marker for Hoerner's season, there's a reason why. April 29 is when Hoerner was hit in the helmet with pitch. Hoerner laughed off incident, and while he did miss a couple of days with neck stiffness, the 29-year-old seemed to walk away unscathed. There's no telling if that is what has caused Hoerner's slump, but in looking for answers, it's a point that has to be mentioned.

Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson proving run prevention can't define the Cubs

For better or worse, the reason Hoerner and Swanson will remain in the starting lineup is because of their defense. Run prevention is the crutch that Hoyer constructed the roster on, but the thing that's being ignored with that strategy is that it can't be the only crutch holding a team up.

Sure, defense got the Cubs through their Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres last October. Of course, it didn't help against the Milwaukee Brewers, and hasn't helped them this season, considering their inability to score runs.

If nothing else, with both Hoerner and Swanson struggling offensively, the Cubs have ample opportunity to give extended looks to Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez. And since the organization is obsessed with run prevention, Shaw was a Gold Glove finalist year and Ramirez was viewed as a defense-first infielder before his offensive surge this season.

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